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Turkey: 10 Myths to Bust about a Country on Two Continents

By Beatrice Vanni

Article Word Count: 455

Thanks to the increase in technology, satellite TV, computers, the internet and global travel, the world gets smaller every day. Many times, however, our knowledge about a country, people or culture may be limited and reek of unfounded truths. This happens to be the case with my beloved Turkey, so I must set the record straight right here today.

1. Turkey is not in the Middle East. She sits between and on the two continents of Europe and Asia. Her people are not Arab.

2. Turkey is a democratic republic with a parliamentary government where one can enjoy freedom of every kind. It is not governed by Shari'a or Islamic laws.

3. Turkey's official language is Turkish. Even in the eastern parts where many Kurdish people live, they speak Turkish as the national language and are Turkish citizens.

4. While Turkey is overwhelmingly Moslem, there are many churches, synagogues, temples and other places of worship throughout Turkey, where you are free to choose how to worship.

5. Women are not required to cover their heads, dress in long sleeves and dresses, or walk 10 steps behind a man. Everyone is free to dress and act as they wish.

6. Turkey has an excellent transportation system with intra-city buses, trains, tramways, ferry boats, sea buses, taxis and a newly developing underground. All the city buses are undergoing upgrades at this time.

7. Turkey is the only country in the world which is completely self-sufficient with enough food to feed all their people, a textile industry to clothe the nation, and the same technology found in westernized countries. Until the 1980's, they had but few imports and depended on no outside resources for their essentials.

8. Turkey's inter-city bus system is noted as one of the best anywhere with buses going to every part of Turkey and abroad round-the-clock. They're clean, air-conditioned, on-time, and facility-equipped with fresh tea, coffee and meal service. This Turkish system puts Greyhound in America to shame.

9. Turkey has many major interstates, or motorways, throughout the country and four-lane highways and toll roads. While some roads in more remote regions are not well-kept, you may travel most places on good roads.

10.The Bosphorus Strait is the most important, strategic waterway in this region of the world, boasting the utmost critical tanker transit route in the entire region and which separates the city of Istanbul. Conversely, it suffers from huge bottlenecks and threatens the environment due to accidents and near misses on the sea.

For a great source of information on Turkey, go to http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com and see what Tom Brosnahan has to say about the fascination of this country, her warm and friendly people and the rich culture of the Ottoman Empire.

About the Author

Bea Vanni works with non-fiction authors, educators and consultants who want to gain more visibility for their work and create remarkable solutions for their business challenges. Learn more and get a complimentary consult at http://www.remarkablesolutions.com.

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Key Words: Turkey, Turkish, tourism, myths, Bosphorus, democratic, Shari'a, Islamic, Ottoman

Article Category: Tourism

Article Summary: Do you want to know facts instead of myths about the country of Turkey? Then, here are 10 myth busters to enlighten you about this colorful country with some of the warmest people in the world.